the penguins

13 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I'm just pointing out that .when starlink first deployed on X, people's SUBSTAINED speeds were well above 5mbps.  When I was on the Carnival Celebration, I often hit 60mbps, always above 40mbps.  IDK why people assume X's version of Starlink cannot reach sustained speeds beyond 5mbps.  An one on one video call take a lot less bandwidth than an MS Teams call when you can have 100 participating, someone sharing their screen, multiple people talking and multiple people typing in the chat.  MS Teams says 4mbps is required and I can usually connect but there are all sorts of issues with using it

All beyond me - I was commenting on Virgin's  claims which as everyone living the UK knows are often wildly different to the reality

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

It goes both ways, technically, X is "UP TO" 5mbps...

precisely - in the real world they may both be the same speeds.

We had no issues video calling from Reflection during our October TA but had several days with no connection on our Princess TA in March both ships  use Starlink

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

X seemed to have no problems with bandwidth before they throttled it down and other cruise lines with starlink also do not have problems.  We were on the Carnival's newest ship at the time, the Celebration in Dec 2022, during football sunday in the BBQ/sports bar area many were streaming their games that weren't on the TV on their phones / ipads

 

as always with Virgin (and not just Virgin Cruises) the devil is in the detail:

1) The speed you have highlighted includes the vital words ( up to).

2) Most Virgin cruises are currently in well populated areas and close to land (Caribbean, Med, around the UK) i.e. areas with the most satellite coverage.

17 hours ago, the penguins said:

as you live in the UK the booking can easily be covered by the ATOL regulations. Just book the cruise and the flights as a package either with X or a UK Tour Operator. Under ATOL regulations if one part of the package fails you get a refund for the whole lot. As there are no flight restrictions now the debate is purely theoretical. If the worst was to happen contact the Tour Operator and claim your refund giving them 30 days to refund in full telling them if they don't you will go direct to your Credit Card Company and claim the money from them - confirm this by email. As 30 days is more than the legal requirement if you do have to claim from the CC Company the fact that you have been "reasonable" in your request will count in your favour.

Your UK Travel Insurance should also cover you for the flight but if X still operated the cruise it wouldn't refund that element.

Another good idea is to never book " flights only" but always to book them as "a package". You get all the ATOL protection plus: lower airfares (same flights/seats), and only a deposit when you book. To qualify as a package you need to book the flight plus one other service e.g. one night hotel,  or one days car rental (book the very cheapest and don't pick it up). Can work out quiet a bit cheaper. 

On 4/1/2024 at 8:26 PM, Lolou127 said:

Blackfly, would you be covered if you booked flights via Celebrity? I’ve been looking at these cruises for Summer 2025 and my thought was to take Celebrity arranged flights, thinking that might mitigate some of the risk? 

as you live in the UK the booking can easily be covered by the ATOL regulations. Just book the cruise and the flights as a package either with X or a UK Tour Operator. Under ATOL regulations if one part of the package fails you get a refund for the whole lot. As there are no flight restrictions now the debate is purely theoretical. If the worst was to happen contact the Tour Operator and claim your refund giving them 30 days to refund in full telling them if they don't you will go direct to your Credit Card Company and claim the money from them - confirm this by email. As 30 days is more than the legal requirement if you do have to claim from the CC Company the fact that you have been "reasonable" in your request will count in your favour.

Your UK Travel Insurance should also cover you for the flight but if X still operated the cruise it wouldn't refund that element.

12 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Why would there not be any back to back cruisers?  Especially on the first and last of these four itineraries, because the ship would be coming to Iceland on the first one, and leaving it on the last one, but people have been known to book identical back  to back trips to be able to enjoy different shore excursions

every likely on the first one and on the last depending on where the ship is coming from/going to.

4 hours ago, twincheryl said:

We also take a quick phone pic when boarding and again in the morning before debark… have had various mini bar charges several times.

We always have the fridge emptied as soon as we see our Cabin Steward on Boarding Day - if we don't see him/her we leave a note. We check our OBC every day (takes around a minute) usually whoever is ready for dinner first does it.

If you have a non $ Credit Card make sure it's one with no charges for Foreign Currency and it's that the card does the conversion not Celebrity.

On 3/28/2024 at 5:08 AM, LB_NJ said:

Some minor items that I have experienced.  May not be true on all ships. Anything can change at any time.  e.g., Celebrity used to let PAX take on 2 wine bottles per person vs. Royal's 1 but that changed.

 

Almost forgot, it doesn't really bother me but irritates my wife, Celebrity provides hair conditioner in the shower, Royal does not. At least that is what I remember.

 

Also, I think Celebrity does twice a day room service (ie, turndown in the evening), Royal went to once a day.

 

Not sure if it was mentioned, I seem to remember that Royal allows smoking in the Casino and Celebrity does not.

 

I think Royal still has formal nights, Celebrity has Evening Chic.  Not sure that there is a real difference other than the names.

 

Celebrity has Aqua Class and Royal does not. 

 

Celebrity doesn't make you sign out pool towels, Royal does.

 

Royal sells a coffee punch card so you can prebuy specialty coffees at a discount (lots of discussion on the boards as to whether it is a true discount however for me it is).  

Celebrity doesn't really limit the amount of non-alcoholic beverages you bring on, Royal does.

 

On the ships I have been on Celebrity usually has an outdoor grill near the pool that is free. Royal does not, Royal typically has a Johny Rockets that is extra charge.

 

Probably much more stuff that I don't remember.

Great summary.

Coffee cards are a discount if you order a small coffee. Go large and they take 2 of the "coupons" instead of 1 making it more expensive to use the card.

5 hours ago, keesar said:

Usually, my request for shareholder OBC has been denied as it is not available under the promotions I had booked.  This year, I decided to try again.  Within 48 hours it was approved!  

 

I had bought shares at $25 a share and it paid $1 annually with its dividend.  Now it is $139 but pays no dividend.  I think a decent purchase so far.

never had a single request refused - just make sure the paperwork clearly shows your name as well as the number of shares etc.

1 hour ago, buncosquad said:

I think that sounds right.

 

I'm just saying that I am fine paying extra for Celebrity having vetted those vendors (I don't need to research) and I simply state what I want and it is done.

 

In my case, ease of process is overriding concern for travel.

 

I was late on one PJ return due to traffic. Never worried that the ship would leave. I was not a pier runner. They drove me to the gangway. Loved it.

 

I don't need or want to be flown to my next available port stop by some third party vendor if I run late. I want to be on my ship in my stateroom.

 

To me, PJ isn't priceless, but the hassle free aspect is.

 

 

clearly works for you and as I said choice is good.

Contrary to what many believe X does not guarantee to wait if you are on one of their excursions. In the small print it says that in the unlikely event that they don't wait they will get you to the next port.

7 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

My overriding concern when traveling is ease of process and avoiding crowds, not cost.

 

It's a vacation. I want to delegate everything to be done.

 

When it comes to sea based travel, I like my cruise company to handle everything and I like all my shore excursion tickets in my room on day one.

 

Sure, I pay more. But, love the simplicity of working with one company for all of it.

 

Celebrity and their Private Journeys have been very good.

I get that. However, unless I have totally misunderstood Private Journeys, you do the basic work by telling Private Journeys what you want/don't want etc. PJ then contacts a local supplier and comes back to you with a suggested  programme which you accept/amend etc. At each stage PJ is acting as a "middle man" and you are never dealing with the Guide who will be providing the service. With a company like TBL from day one you deal direct with your chosen guide making it very simple to get exactly what you want. Everything is confirmed and you have the full confirmation/paperwork before you leave home. Full refund if the ship doesn't dock/you are refused disembarkation (or cancel for any reason insurance at an extra cost), guarantee to get you to the next port should you miss the ship.

Choice is good

11 hours ago, buncosquad said:

This is a great way to do it. Have used them numerous times.

 

They will customize just for you. Love the one on one guides. Walk off the ship and they are right there waiting for you. Come back on time, ensuring you see what you came for.

 

Sure, more cost than in doing groups, but every moment ashore is personalized according to your wants.

 

No lines. No waiting. Awesome!

never done it and, apart from the cost, dealing through third parties has no appeal. On other similar threads passenger have reported that you can get a very similar experience by booking through companies like Toursbylocals (you deal direct with the guide) at a fraction of the cost. One advantage Private Journeys does have is that you can pay using OBC 

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

We are also on the same cruise and that leg is the second leg of a B2B.  We have overnighted in Reykjavik on a prior series of cruises, and yes indeed, it was handled exactly the same as Celebrity has handled every overnight port call — the ship gangway will be open all night.  People are free to leave at their leisure.

 

We have also rented a car for an overnight at Reykjavik.  Great amount of safe overnight parking at the cruise terminal.  We did not need to pick up the rental from the airport.  It was delivered to the cruise terminal.  Two different car rental agencies had kiosks at the cruise terminal for those who had booked cars.

We rented a car and drove the "Golden Circle". The nice lady at the checkin desk put all the main stopping points into the car SatNav because as she said "all the names sound and look almost identical even though they maybe on opposite sides of the country. 

1 hour ago, Liao said:

That's unfortunate, because I'd not consider 5/6 times out of 11 cruises to be rare.

depends on the length of the 11 cruises - could be 5% or even less. Also depends on the time of arrival at the restaurant as with any restaurant if lots of people arrive at the same time there will be delays.

5 hours ago, indy406 said:

The gratuities were a 20-percent add-on at checkout. Not folded into the advertised price.

your original post said "no gratuities charge on our classic drinks package" but in reality you did paid the 20% grats. 

26 minutes ago, indy406 said:

We were going to upgrade to premium during a sale a couple of days ago. Went to checkout and realized we'd forgotten the 20 percent gratuities charge. Decided no thanks. Killed the upgrade. We'll pay the up charge per drink (use onboard credit) if we want something on the premium package. Won't happen that often so we'll be money ahead. We have an AI package so no gratuities charge on our classic package drinks.

the grats are in the price - nothing is free

5 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

From X's FAQs:  If your assistive device is 23 inches or less, it will fit through a standard stateroom door. If your assistive device is 32 inches or less, it will fit through an accessible stateroom door.

Sorry Ruth my mistake with the inches - should have had the Boss ( Anita) check my typing.

7 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

In February a friend had a need, unexpectedly, for a mobility scooter. There was no way to park it comfortably in her stateroom.  Every night, her steward took the scooter to the alcove next to the library, plugged it in, and after overnight charging, returned it to her the next morning. It was never parked in a hallway where it would have been a traffic hazard. The steward said this was the standard operating procedure for passengers who had not been able to book accessible state rooms. This was on Millennium,

Celebrity rules are crystal clear: Mobility devices/wheelchairs must be stored and recharged in your cabin. Wheelchairs must not be kept in corridors, hallways or outside elevators. Wheelchairs must fit through 21 inch wide standard cabin doors. Wheelchairs over 36 inches wide need special approval. Staff are not permitted to lift wheelchairs. 

1 hour ago, Mr. Click said:

You should be able to book your dining times in the cruise planner.  You can do it on M and S class ships.  You cannot do it on the newer E class ships.   Since the Connie is an M Class you are good to go. Just find the dining tab in your cruise planner and scroll down.

Confusingly it comes under Speciality Dining. You can book any day and time - you just have to do it one day at a time. There is no charge. You have left it a bit late for May so popular times will probably be full, but there will be tables held back for walk ins - you might have to wait or take a buzzer and retreat to a bar. When you "check in " each night you will generally be seated quicker if you make it clear you are happy to share a table - our choice is a table for 6.

Just now, DaKahuna said:

 

Yes, I am very sure.

 

 

You didn't say it was for the Premium Package. Current price for Classic is $66 Inc the tips. Might be cheaper to book that and pay the extra for the odd drink that went over the limit.

13 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

We have a 13-night cruise coming up in May and the drink package is current going for $79.99 per night, total $1039.87 and 20% gratuities would be $207.98  Total price, per person $1247.85.  Since we have been only booking Retreat for the last five or six years, I did not realize how much these packages were.  Last time we were not in a suite, was back in the "Big, Better, Best" days of choosing which amenities you wanted and I would get the regular beverage package and OBC and use the OBC to pay the $10.00 a day to upgrade my package to premium.  

 

 

 

That seems very high - are you sure that's not the Classic Drinks with the Basic WiFi including the tips? 

23 hours ago, harz99 said:

Great but, a) that doesn't answer the question, and B) the option to book in the UK without AI wasn't available previously on our last X cruise!

Also as you both get 240 minutes use one package first (log in and out each time) and see how many days it lasts.

You can share the minutes but not be logged in at the same time. When you have used the first 240 minutes and you want to activate the second package you will know if it will last the rest of the cruise or if you should use it as a discount on a full package for the remainder of the cruise - we have never needed this second option.

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

Yes, Celebrity states that it must be charged in the stateroom, however, in practice as long as the scooter is out of the way, (see photo above) charging in the alcoves is allowed.  
 

 

Your response highlights the issue that  disabled passengers could be faced with.

Say for 90% of the time X turns a "blind eye" to scooters being charged in the Hallways what happens when they don't? Then the disabled passenger is totally stuck as the rules clearly state that the scooters must be stored and charged inside the cabin and that you must check this before booking.

The rules are similar when you have manually powered chairs/walkers where again you are responsible for enduring items will fit in the cabin. The Special Needs Form requires you to detail the size and weight of the chair/ Rollator.

As an aside whereas our Rollator fits through all the standard cabin doors on S line ships it had to be folded on Sky Princess which was a real pain.

Also on S class the corridors are wide enough that we can pass the Cabin Stewards Trolleys whereas on Sky Princess the Rollator had to be folded every time - one reason we are reluctant to do another Princess Cruise.

On 3/27/2024 at 9:26 AM, kruzgal said:

I really enjoy my job so don't want to retire early but it does mean I am tied to school holidays. If your children are grown up then presumably there is no reason why they couldn't sail with you on an adult only ship? If you had grandchildren you could go on the Celebrity ships that are newer and bigger. 

To me, making at least a couple of their older ships adult only is a no brainer, as P&O do. We are not loyal to any particular line and will always shop around, largely looking at dates, then itinerary and price. Celebrity has 14 ships so making 2 of them adult only would barely make a difference to me, but could attract others to them. I think they are missing a trick. 

great theory - but how do you see it working.

Taking your suggestion  X has 2 adult only ships. How do you choose them? In the UK X only has one ship - will that be family of adult only?  Same app;ies out of other European Ports. So many reasons it won't work.

P and O only operates a limited number of routes and I believe it's Adult Only ships are "converted" to family cruises during peak periods/Christmas etc.

On 3/27/2024 at 6:08 PM, STNGR said:

 

You are correct, it boils down to math. Here's my math (not a big drinker):

 

   1. Regular included coffee is fine, no need for fru fru mocha choca whatever = 0.00

 

   2. One beer/piña colada during the day = $12

 

   3. One cocktail before dinner: $17

 

   4. One glass of wine with dinner: $12

 

   5. One after dinner drink: $17

 

Sub-total:                  $58

Plus 20% gratuity:    $12

Total:                         $70

 

Celebrity package:            $80

Plus mandatory gratuity: $15

 

Math: $80-$70= $10 cheaper than package

 

More importantly, principle: $12-$15 = $3 day Celebrity pockets for itself and doesn't give to it's underpaid employees  (employees gets tips depending on listed price of drink every time they swipe your card when you get a drink, not based on overall gratuities Celebrity charges their guests).

 

Principle.

 

Your tipping principle is incorrect - there is no upper limit drink more and the staff get more.